When Words Fail
by Twilight-Songstress
Summary: She couldn't help it; he simply took her breath away. One-shot set during Crisis Core.


Disclaimer: _Final Fantasy VII _and all of the games based on it belong to Square-Enix.

- _When Words Fail_ -

The sounds of a door creaking open and boots on the church's wooden floor drew Aerith's attention from the bed of flowers she was kneeling beside. She looked up to see a tall young man walking towards her; he met her gaze with a grin as he pulled the Buster Sword from his back and rested it against one of the splintered pews. "Hey."

She stood up, a little astonished by his unexpected presence, but nevertheless, a smile graced her face. "I wasn't expecting you today…" Her sweet voice echoed slightly in the large building. "I thought you were out on an assignment."

"I was, but I wanted to see you," he answered simply as he flopped down on the ground before stretching out and lying on his back. Aerith squatted down beside him, a soft twitter escaping her lips. He smiled at the sound.

"Silly, it's almost time for me to go hom–" Her eyes widened as they landed on a deep gash in his arm, where a thin trail of crimson was trickling to the floor. "Zack! You're hurt!" He tilted his head to the side to see his arm smudged with blood. To her surprise, he chuckled.

"Guess I'm so tired I didn't notice."

Aerith frowned, her eyes filled with worry as she stood up and disappeared into the back room of the church. She came back a moment later with a few bandages that she kept on hand for situations such as this. Wordlessly, she knelt at his side; exhaustion overcame him and he let his eyes droop closed as she cleaned up his wound. A few minutes passed before she spoke again, concern lacing her words.

"Zack… You really didn't have to come — not when you can barely keep your eyes open."

He exhaled slowly, his eyes still closed as he said, "But that's what people do when they love someone."

Aerith froze, the bandages slipping from her grasp and falling to the floor. His brow furrowed when he noticed her hands had stopped their ministrations. Opening his eyes a crack, he looked over at her curiously. "Aerith?" She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. He sat up and rested a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake.

"Hey, you alright?"

She gazed into his brilliant green eyes, desperately willing her voice to start working once more. Finally, she managed to say, "…D-do you mean it?"

A look of confusion passed over his face. "Mean what?" A rosy blush appeared on her cheeks as she scrambled to her feet.

"Oh, nothing," she insisted before offering him a sweet smile. "Just give me a second. I think I have a Potion laying around her somewhere…" She turned away to busy herself with searching for said Potion, but a warm hand caught hers, keeping her in place.

Zack stood up and turned her around to face him — it was obvious that he knew something was wrong, and she silently wished that he wasn't able to read her so easily. "What's up with you?" When she didn't answer, he moved closer, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. His lips formed a grin as he playfully added, "I don't make you nervous, do I?"

She laughed her familiar, melodic laugh before shaking her head, stepping out of his embrace. "No, it's not that," she murmured. "I just thought I heard you say something…"

"Oh? And what was that?" he asked. She glanced away, not sure how to put it.

"Well, you said… 'That's what people do when they _love_ someone." Surprise immediately appeared on his features.

"Did I?" He let out a shaky, almost nervous chuckle. "I didn't notice…"

Her expression fell before she forced a smile onto her face. "I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything then," she said, praying her voice didn't sound as hurt as she felt. She was about to walk past him when he replied.

"Nah, you don't have to do that." She paused mid-step and met his eyes with amazement. "I meant it," he continued, a thoughtful look on his slightly flushed face. "I would've said it sooner, but…" He grinned. "I didn't wanna freak you out." She felt her heart skip a beat as he pulled her closer, a small glint in his eyes. "But now that you know… Aerith, I… I love you."

At that moment, the indescribable feeling of pure bliss bubbled up inside her, bringing a smile to her face. But when she tried to return the sentiment, words failed her once more. His body tensed as she remained silent, a hint of panic flitting through his eyes.

"Aerith–"

She pressed her lips against his, cutting him off instantly. He smiled against her lips as he pulled her closer before lifting her off her feet, eliciting a tiny giggle from his angel. They broke apart, Aerith beaming as she whispered, "I love you, too." His grin simply widened and he kissed her once more.

* * *

A/N - (sigh) I wish there was a scene like this in _Crisis Core_ but hey, I'm happy enough with the game as it is : ) (Actually, I _love_ it. And Zack... Come on, how can you not like him?) Anyways, just a short and sweet one-shot I thought up a while ago and finally got around to writing. Reviews would be greatly appreciated : )

-Twilight-Songstress


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